ABYC AND BOAT MANUFACTURERS WORK TO MINIMIZE THE SPREAD OF AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES

August 21, 2018

The American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) has published a technical information report that provides information regarding Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) with consideration to the design and construction of boats, trailers, engines, components, and accessories in order to minimize the spread of AIS. The report reviews current AIS inspection and decontamination processes and provides best practices and recommendations for manufacturers to reference.

“Developing the AIS technical report was a great collaborative effort between the boating industry and the resource management community,” said Brian Goodwin ABYC technical director. “The result is a tool to aid boat builders and the rest of the industry in creating products that not only help reduce the spread of AIS but also improve the overall boating experience.”

The technical information report is a result of the work originally initiated at ABYC’s AIS Summit in January 2015, which brought together boating industry leaders and the natural resource management community to engage in an in-depth dialogue about how to build a better boat that will drain better, is easier to clean and dry, and is easier to inspect and decontaminate.

The upcoming 2018 AIS Summit will be held Sept. 20, 2018, in Annapolis to build on the collaborative work to date and the newly released technical information report.

“The ABYC AIS summit is going to provide valuable information that just cannot be found in another place,” said Goodwin. “We will discuss the current AIS challenges manufacturers in the industry face and the next steps forward.”

AIS include plant life such as Eurasian watermilfoil and water hyacinth, and animals such as spiny water flea, quagga and zebra mussels. These species damage ecosystems and negatively impact. The impact of AIS has already resulted in the limiting of boat access to many aquatic resources throughout North America. A large number of federal, state, and local agencies have enacted laws and regulations for inspections, permits, launch availability, and water access for vessels entering public waterways. AIS infestation can also often result in serious damage to boats and their components.

For further information please visit: www.abycinc.org/2018Summit